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Taking Psychometric Assessment Personally

In a candidate-led market and where the cost of a bad hire can be significant, a successful hiring decision will become more important than ever.Psychometric assessment is the term used to describe the objective measurement of skills, knowledge, abilities, attitudes and personality traits. The main advantages of using psychometric tests are:

Objectivity- they reduce bias and personal perspective.

Clarity- they provide a robust framework and structure.

Equality and fairness for all individuals (tests are standardized so that all individuals receive the same treatment).

An increased likelihood of being able to predict future job performance.

Identification of training needs.

They encourage employers to undertake a thorough job analysis in order to identify appropriate skills and abilities which in turn helps to ensure that candidates are assessed on skills only relevant to the job.

However, in a growing economy in which 81% of businesses plan to hire more permanent staff in the next three months and 43% of job seekers say that they are more selective about their next role than their previous role, it is important to ensure that hiring managers are well equipped with relevant and accurate information during the selection process. As the hiring market becomes more competitive, businesses must find a way to be the first choice employer for their first choice candidate. In part, this could be achieved through the use of psychometric assessments, which will not only help the hiring manager to understand the impact of personality on job performance but could also give them the advantage over other potential employers and increase their chances of finding that elusive “best fit.”

According to Personnel Today, ‘Personalization’ is one of the top five rec-tech (recruitment technology) buzzwords where attracting candidates should be personalized to a single user, to a certain type of behavior, to preferences a user has indicated, or a certain type of applicant. The same principles should be applied to interview techniques, i.e. interviews should be personalized based on the interviewee’s indicated preferences and experiences. Job seekers report that they are more likely to connect with a role/organization which they feel personally attracted to. They want to know more about the company culture, the working environment or the business’ approach to work-life balance.